Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has directed authorities to bring at least one member from nearly 40 million families under the Universal Pension Scheme by 2030 to ensure financial security for the country’s growing elderly population.
The directive came during a high-level meeting titled “Progress, Challenges and Future Action Plan of the Universal Pension Scheme” held at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The finance minister also expressed support for introducing a Shariah-based pension scheme, considering lifetime pension benefits for nominees, and including outsourced workers under the “Progoti” scheme to make the pension system more attractive and inclusive.
Senior officials, including National Pension Authority Executive Chairman Dr. Md. Suruzzaman, Finance Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, and other top officials from the Finance Division attended the meeting.
During the meeting, officials said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged a concessional loan of $100 million for strengthening the universal pension system project, while feasibility assessment activities are currently underway.
Authorities also informed the meeting that pension contributions are being collected through 45 banks and financial institutions, as well as mobile financial services platforms bKash and Nagad, and state-owned operator Teletalk. Registration services are also available through Union Digital Centers.
Dr. Suruzzaman said that as of April 30, 2026, a total of 377,545 citizens had registered under four pension schemes Probash, Progoti, Surakkha, and Samata.
According to the National Pension Authority, total deposits under the schemes have reached Tk 255.7 crore, while total investments, including profits, stand at Tk 279.74 crore.
The finance minister said the government is committed to ensuring old-age security for private sector employees in line with its 2026 election manifesto.
“By 2050, the number of dependent elderly people in Bangladesh will increase several times compared to the present level. A universal pension system is the only sustainable solution to address this challenge,” he said.
